Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on November 8, 2016 that Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 banknotes would no longer be considered legal tender. The objective was to combat black money, corruption, terrorism, and counterfeiting. However, the sudden nature of the announcement and lack of preparation negatively impacted many ordinary citizens. While demonetization has been attempted before with little success, the size and timing of this move was unprecedented. If more time was given, it may not have been as effective at reducing unaccounted cash. Though an imperfect solution, demonetization will help curb some black money hoarded as cash, estimated to be around 23% of India's GDP. Other countries have taken similar actions to deal with